For purposes of this invention, the term "polymer optical fiber" is defined as a fiber (or thin, flexible rod) with a core layer within which light travels and a clad layer which confines the light to the core. The clad layer also provides mechanical strength and protection to the core.
Polymer optical fibers were developed as alternatives to copper cable and glass fibers. The primary objectives for such development were to lower manufacturing costs, to increase mechanical and optical performance capabilities and to simplify the manufacturing process.
Currently, polymer optical fibers (POF) have a wide range of uses, such as electronics, medical, automotive, industrial, defense and communication. For purposes of simplification, these uses can be categorized as either imaging and illumination or communications. The POF competes with glass optical fibers and copper cable in short distance communications applications and competes with glass optical fibers in imaging and illumination applications.
One technical limitation of POF is the lack of an effective process which will consistently and reliably produce a POF having a graded optical refractive index. In communications applications, especially data communications, a graded optical refractive index profile enables POF to have increased performance capabilities, such as their use for computer connections in networks and in computers for carrying data.
For various reasons, the current processes do not consistently and reliably produce a POF with a suitable graded optical refractive index profile. Therefore, a need exists in the industry for this type of process.